BATTLE CREEK (AP) — A Battle Creek man retried for the 2011 death of his former girlfriend’s 3-year-old daughter has been convicted of felony murder and first-degree child abuse.
A Calhoun County Circuit Court jury deliberated more than 10 hours before reaching the verdict Thursday against 30-year-old Leo Ackley in the blunt force trauma death of Baylee Stenman.
The Michigan Supreme Court unanimously overturned Ackley’s original murder conviction, saying a defense lawyer didn’t adequately prepare for a case dominated by expert opinions.
In the retrial, defense attorney Andrew Rodenhouse argued the medical science of abusive head trauma is flawed and a defense expert witness testified an autopsy was incomplete and didn’t prove when or how Baylee was injured.
A prosecution witness testified the injury was severe and Baylee would have shown immediate symptoms.
- Posted October 25, 2016
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
Man convicted in retrial in child's death
headlines Macomb
headlines National
- ABA connects death row inmate to pro bono attorneys who help free him
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- 2 judges suspended in separate cases after being indicted on criminal charges
- Convicted ex-judge gets $5K fine but no prison time in immigration case
- Ohio governor signs bill prohibiting foreign litigation funding
- Many small firms collect payments faster than BigLaw counterparts, new data shows
